Pressure responsive automatic control



p 1, 1948. E. v. RIPPINGILLE 2,449,953

PRESSURE RESPONSIVE AUTOMATIC CONTROL Filed April 9, 12547 Patented Sept. .21, 1948 Edward V. Bipp Mich.

lngllle, I'armlngton, liner to General Motors Corporation,

a corporation of Delaware Application April 9, 1947, Serial No. 740,504 1 Claims. (01. sis-m) l The present invention relates to a pressure responsive control device of the type illustrated in Kettering et a1. application Serial No. 453.358, filed August 3, 1942, and assigned to a common assignee.

More particularly, the persent invention relates to pressure responsive servo control systems in which an auxiliary pressure element is used to increase the sensitivity of the mechanism.

Previous to the present invention, various types of controls for both aircraft and torpedos were.

available to maintain the controlled mechanism in the proper horizontal plane. vices do not have the desired sensitivity or simplicity and are often subject to erratic control.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to produce a pressure sensitive automatic control mechanism for craft travelling in a fluid medium.

It is another object of the present invention to produce an altitude control mechanism for aircraft having great sensitivity and simplicity of operation.

It is afurther object of the present invention to produce a pressure responsive control means including a light reflecting means attached to a toroidal segment shaped pressure responsive element.

It is a still further object of the present invention to produce a pressure responsive control mechanism in which the follow-up mechanism influences the pressure responsive element to give greater sensitivity of control.

Other objects of this invention will become apparent upon inspection of the specification and drawings and will be specifically pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the figure in the drawing: 2 is a platform or other member secured rigidly to the craft being controlled. Mounted on this platform 2 by means of projection 4 and pivot 8 is a control linkage element 8. This lever 8 is free to rotate about the pivot 8 but is adiustably attached to the lever in by means of gear I! and worm It. The lever ill is also free to rotate about the pivot 8 and its adjustment relative to the lever 8 is produced by a trim motor l8 and the associated gear I! and worm ii. The control linkage lever 8 is attached to the elevator control surface 24 by means of control arms 20 and 22 pivotally mounted by pins i8 and 28.

Mounted on the platform 2 is a pressure responsive element 30, here illustrated as a Sylphon bellows. the other end of which is attached to a pivoted mirror 32.

The Sylphon bellows used heretofore as pressure responsive elements have for the most part all been cylindricaliy shaped. The use of such a pressure responsive device for angular movement of an indicating means requires the interposing of a mechanical linkage. the elements of which have weight, friction, and inertia. These physical characteristics complicate and make quite diilicuit the production oi a pressure responsive indicating or controlling system of high sensitivity. In the present invention the necessity of such a linkage mechanism is eliminated by These prior cethe utilization of a Sylphon bellows having the shape of a section of a toroid. By using a toroidal shaped pressure responsive element the change in atmospheric pressure on the bellows produces directly angular movement of a control element without the necessity of any movement translation linkage.

A light source 88 with focussing shield 81 is mounted in a fixed spaced relationship to the platform 2. A light sensitive cell 28 is mounted on the outer end of the lever ll so as to receive light rays originating at the light source 38 and reflected from the mirror 32.

A light shield 88 is mounted on the lever Iii interposed between the cell 2| and the mirror 32. This shield cuts-oi! the flow of light to the cell when the plane is below its preset height. When the plane has reached its preset height the opening 34 in the shield is aligned between the mirror and the element II so as to allow illumination and resultant energization of the circuit 40, 42. The light sensitive cell 28 is connected to the servo system 46 by means of conductors in and 42 and power source. The servo system 48' may include a gyro or other level flight control mechanism. The servo mechanism 48 is connected to the pivot pin it by means of rod 48 so as to be capable of operating the elevation control surface 24. An auxiliary booster system to increase the sensitivity of the subject device is connected to the linkage 8 by means of pivot 50. This booster system consists of a connecting rod 52, a bellcrank arrangement pivoted at pin I! having arms 54 and l. and a connecting slip clutch 58. This bell crank is connected to a Syiphon bellows having no opening to the atmosphere but having a port 82 connecting it with the pressure responsive device 3|. The movement of the arm 56 is restricted by stop pins I4 and 86.

The operation of the illustrated device is as follows:

The motor I. is used to adjust the angular relationship between the levers 8 and I. so as to get assaoss 3 proper control for the desired preset altitude. If we assumethismechanismistobeusedinacontrolled aerial missile, the mirror is so positioned as to energize the cell 2| when the missilehas reached a preset height.

The elevator controls of the missile are positioned to cause climbing. when no light is refiected to the photocell 2|. As the missile climbs toward the preset height the bellows or pressure responsive element 30 expands causing the light rays from the mirror to be depressed so as to strike the opening in the shield 80 and energize the cell 38 when the missile has reached its desired altitude. fire control mechanism, including the conductors ll and 42 and the servo it is then energized causing the connecting rod 48 to move to the right depressing the elevation control surface. When this rod moves to the right the r control linkage causes the compression the Sylphon bellows ll thereby increasing the pgessure in the pressure element ll further the mirror 32 causing full illumination of the lig t sensitive element is. As the missile descends tosuch an altitude that the pressure relationship between the atmosphere and the pressure responsive element 8| again causes the tilting of the mirror is to reflect rays off the photocell It the servo mechanism it is deenergized causing the elevation surfaces 14 to be again placed in the climb position. when this is done, the booster linkage system causes the expansion ofthe bellows II to decrease the pressure in the pressure responsive element ll and the missile rapidly climbs to the preset altitude at which time the mirror 32 tilts so as to focus the rays on the cell 28 and the operation is repeated.

Having thusdescribed my invention and its operation with respect to an aerial torpedo or controlled missile. it is obvious that this same mechanism operating in the same manner could be used to control a submarine torpedo. If used in the latter application, the pressure responsive element ll would be exposed to water pressure instead of the atmospheric pressure as in the described operation.

It is to be understood also that although the invention has been described with specific reference to a particular embodiment thereof. it is not to be so limited. since changes and alterations therein may be made which are within the full intended scope of this invention as dei'ined by the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a pressure responsive mechanism, a servo system, a photoelectric cell for controlling said system, a light source, a toroidal section shaped pressure responsive element having directly attached to one end thereof a pivotally supported mirror, said pressure responsive element and said mirror so located with respect to said light source and said photoelectric cell as to cause light from said source to be reflected on said cell when the tlltln .pressurc surrounding said pressure responsive element reaches a predetermined minimum and no light to be so reflected when said pressure is above said minimum.

2. A pressure responsive system including a toroidal section shaped pressure responsive element, a booster device for, said pressure responsive element. a servo system controlled by said pressure responsive element, said servo system so connected to said booster device that when a prissure differential causes movement of the pres- 4 sure responsive element said booster device will cause a still further pressure differential on said pressure responsive element.

3. An altitude sensitive automatic control system for pilotless aircraft including, a pressure responsive means sensitive to atmospheric pressure. a radiant energy reflecting means pivotally mounted adiacent to, and actuated by said pressure responsive means. a radiant energy source, an electronic element sensitive to said radiant energy capable of receiving energy from said source when reflected by said reflecting means, a servo mechanism controlled by said electronic element for actuating the elevator surfaces of said pilotless aircraft, said pressure responsive means causing energizatlon of said electronic element when the preset altitude is reached to control said elevator surfaces to maintain the pilotless aircraft on substantially constant altitude flight.

4. An altitude sensitive automatic control system for pi-lotless aircraft including a toroidal shaped pressure responsive element, a booster device for said pressure responsive element. a follow-up mechanism controlled by the movement or said pressure responsive element for podtionlng the elevator surfaces of said pilotless aircraft. said booster device so connected with the said follow-up mechanism as to cause a pressure change in the interior of said toroidal shaped pressure responsive element so as to increase the pressure differential causing the movement of the pressure responsive element.

5. In an atmospheric pressure sensitive control system for aircraft, a toroidal shaped pressure responsive element having a pivoted mirror attached to one end thereof, said mirror capable of reflecting energy to control a servo system. a variable volume airchamber connected by a restricted port to said pressure responsive element, means for varying the volume of said air chamber connected to said follow-up mechanism so that the volume of the air chamber is reduced forcing air into the pressure responsive element when the pressure on the outside of the element reaches a predetermined minimum thus causing more sensitive control of the servo mechanism.

6. A pressure responsive device including a base plate, a mirror pivotally attached to said plate, a toroidal section shaped pressure sensitive element positioned between said mirror and said plate, a light source and a light receiving means located in such spaced relation with said mirror that said last mentioned means may under predetermined pressure conditions receive light energy from said source reflected from said mirror.

7. A pressure responsive device including a base plate, a mirror pivotally attached to said plate, a toroidal section shaped pressure sensitive element positioned between said mirror and said plate, a light source and a light receiving means located in such spaced relation with said mirror that said last mentioned means may receive light energy from said source when reflected from said mirror, a variable volume gas container attached to the plates side opposite said pressure responsive element, a port between said chamber and said last mentioned element, means for varying the volume of said chamber to introduce a change in pressure in said element to accentuate the movement of said mirror.

EDWARD v. RIPPINGILIE. 

